Detroit, USA - A 14-year-old boy will return to his charter school tomorrow with his long hair pulled into a tight puff, after a judge overrode a school dress code requiring "closely cropped hair."
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan won a temporary victory today for Claudius Benson, a freshman at Old Redford Academy, who was suspended indefinitely for keeping his hair long to uphold his religious beliefs.
Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen MacDonald ruled the boy can return to school with his hair pulled in an Afro puff pending an evidentiary hearing to evaluate the sincerity of his religious beliefs.
"In terms of irreparable damage to the boy, the young man should be allowed in school," MacDonald said. "I have the affidavit that this is his mother's beliefs."
Alecha Benson said her family practices their own interpretation of old Jewish Law, and that the religion mandates Old Testament-length hair.
"I am very excited that my son is able to go back to school," said his mother, Alecha Benson. "This is a win for everybody. It is my religion today and someone else's tomorrow."
Attorneys for the school questioned the claims that Claudius Benson's hairstyle is religiously motivated.
"There is absolutely no support that anything of any religion prohibits the cutting of the hair," said attorney Neil Goodman. "With respect to the sincerity of the plaintiff's beliefs he has not met the burden of prove.
"We don't know what are (Claudius Benson's) religious beliefs, we only know what his mother believes in."
Claudius was enrolled in Old Redford for three days before being expelled on Sept. 6. The school requires that boys wear black blazers, white shirts, ties, and "close cropped hair," with no braids, twists, or dreadlocks.
An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 17 after that the judge can either determine to keep Benson in school or uphold the dress code.